. >>> pope benedict xvi gave the final blessing over the week. it was a message of the power of prayer. the pope said he feels that god is calling him to devout himself to medication and reflection and prayer and not abandoning the church in any way. the strong message in light of the changes to church law allowing conclave to begin earlier which may be just in time as britain's highest ranking catholic leader found himself confronted by allegations of sexual misconduct. he denies the accusations of inappropriate contact submitted by a priest and three former priests. this is a critical time for the catholic church. so let's spin on it. i think putting aside the pope's legacy which is a little bit more complicated and i'm actually going to write about that this week, just addressing these issues, it seems to me and i was reading cardinal o'brien's response to this and his statement and he writes i want to thank pope benedict for his kindness and courtesy. i will not join them for conclave in person. i don't wish media attention in rome focused on